Aerial Root
by ResurgereTento
Summary: AU When Danzou dies fighting the Kyuubi, it makes all the difference. Eventual NaruSasuNaru.
1. Prologue

My first publically posted fic! Feel free to be critical. There's always something awkward about my writing but I do honestly want to improve:D

This fic will _eventually_ be SasuNaru, but that's a long, long way off yet.  
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There was an eerie quiet over the village, unnatural and tense. Its residents were aware that the worst was over, but with injuries to be tended and the dead still to recover there was no cause for celebration.

Sarutobi looked out over the village towards the devastated East wall; hand tight on the windowsill for support. He hadn't been expected to fight, of course, but of course he had – only to be taken out with three broken ribs early on. The Yondaime had been the one to insist on medical treatment, with an unwavering smile – _what are you doing, old man? Leave this to us brats, will you?_ He hadn't been there for the end of the battle, but he had his suspicions.

_You always were far too reckless, Yellow Flash._

The way his thoughts settled into past tense did not go unnoticed, and he welcomed the distraction of an approaching presence. He turned at the sound of a knock on his door. "Come in."

An ANBU solider entered the room swiftly and silently, standing to attention as the door swung closed behind him. _A captain, _Sarutobi recalled immediately upon seeing the ears and fangs that denoted the red hound mask. The name took a slightly longer time to find, but he eventually produced Takahashi Hiroshi.

"Takahashi. Please report."

The ANBU lifted his chin. "The Kyuubi has been defeated, sir," apparently choosing to state the obvious before continuing. "Recovery procedures are being implemented. Current death toll is around the seven hundreds, though expected to rise through fatal injuries and discovered…bodies. Shinobi lost are as follows: Genin, thirty-two. Chuunin, twenty-six. Jounin -"

Both men were aware that the captain was circling around a looming thundercloud of information. Even though Sarutobi knew – in his gut, and in the fact that ANBU was reporting to _him_ as their senior – he needed to _know._

"- damage to the village buildings away from the East wall is minimal, due to –"

"Takahashi. You are a shinobi."

There was a short pause, and the captain visibly collected himself. "Konoha is reluctant to disrupt your retirement; however it requires you to return to your previous position, sir. As…as Hokage."

Sarutobi's hand tightened on the windowsill, knuckles turning white. "Yondaime."

"Has passed away, sir. In duty," Takahashi added, as if it were necessary.

Sarutobi felt a heavy weight settle in his chest and thought fleetingly of young Kakashi, as he knew the Yondaime to be the last of the boy's close companions. Turning his gaze to the tiles, he suppressed the display of any other outward emotion. "Very well. I shall address the village at dawn. Return to the recovery efforts, you are dismissed."

Takahashi gave a short nod. "Sir." He lifted his hands to form the seals for a teleportation jutsu, then paused. "Sir…what about the demon boy?"

Momentarily confused, the Sandaime raised his head to look directly at the dark shadows that hid the younger shinobi's eyes. _Of course. That's why he waited for his son to be born… young Naruto. _"Bring him here. I will see to him."

"Immediately, sir."

"And captain?"

"Sir?"

"He may have a demon inside of him, but he is still just a boy. Remember that."

The ANBU paused as if to speak, and then raised his hands again. "Sir."

Confronted with a suddenly empty room, the Sandaime finally allowed his emotions to flood his expression before stumbling to a nearby chair. He lowered his face into his hands. "He is still just a boy."

--------------------------------------------

"No. _No._ Don't be ridiculous. Who will look after him? You can't just throw him into an apartment and expect him to fend for himself!"

Sarutobi would have smiled at the enraged face of his former pupil, but he was painfully aware of the abilities behind the fist currently being shaken in his face. "Tsunade, please. I simply think that the Yondaime would have liked Naruto to lead a normal life in the village."

"Normal? _Normal? _Both of his parents died yesterday! How is that in _anyway normal?"_

"He will be placed under nursing care, then –"

"Then what? Adoption? You and the Yondaime might have an excessively optimistic outlook on everything – hero, _honestly _– but I'm being realistic! No one will adopt that child!" She flung out a hand to indicate the blonde infant in the cot in the corner, somehow sleeping peacefully through the tirade. "They're going to see him as a _monster!"_ As if to emphasis her point, she brought her fist down on the wooden Hokage desk, breaking it clean in two. No one flinched.

"Oi, Tsunade. The brat will be fine on his own. It ain't that hard."

Tsunade rounded on the speaker, eyes flashing dangerously as she approached the white-haired figure leaning against the wall. The man at least had the sense to cringe under the glare.

Sarutobi raised his hands. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, please. This isn't helping matters."

The blonde woman paused with her fist raised. "So what _will_?" Her tone was dark and low, causing something instinctive within the Sandaime to want to run for cover.

"If I may make a suggestion?"

All three turned towards the ANBU captain that had spoken. Takahashi swallowed. "Simply put, sir, most orphans go to the same place – Root, sir."

There was a pause.

"You're a _moron_," Tsunade said, with passion. Sarutobi had to agree. Unfortunately, he couldn't be quite so crass.

"That department was disbanded years ago, Takahashi. Their loyalty was misplaced."

"Officially speaking, yes. But intelligence had recently discovered that its existence may have continued on without approval." At Sarutobi's raised brow, he went on. "The Yondaime was aware – he had been preparing for action before…all this."

The Sandaime's jaw tightened. "And I will continue that action. I will not allow such a corrupt organisation to remain and I certainly refuse place the Yondaime's son under the influence of such a man as Danzou."

There was a pause. "Danzou was killed in the battle, sir."

"Nonetheless."

"But perhaps it is time for its reinstatement? Under a new leader – someone you can trust? Because…I hate to put it this way, but there's likely to be a number of orphans needing a home."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "You…you insensitive _bastard._ You're talking about taking _advantage_ of hundreds of deaths just so you can build an army!" Her voice was loud and shrill, probably carrying through half the building.

The captain flinched, but stood firm. "I'm merely pointing out an option. We are severely weakened, we are vulnerable and we have a number of children needing a home."

"I've heard about that place," Tsunade's voice had lowered dangerously. "No names, no feelings, no past, no future. I will be _damned_ if the Yondaime's child is raised in such a way."

Sarutobi, however, was thoughtful. "Tsunade…"

Tsunade swung around, expression surprised but fierce. "_No._ I can't _believe_ you would -" she clenched her teeth and glared. "He wouldn't have wanted this."

"He wouldn't have wanted his son to be raised under the old principles of Root, no. But perhaps if we made a few changes…" Sarutobi trailed off, the famous mind of the Professor already working quickly ahead.

"Like what?" Her tone indicated that imminent and gruesome deaths were balanced on the answers she received.

"The members would still have no past, no ties, but if we open it only to orphans that may well be best for them. As an elite force they would still be trained towards a stoic and emotionless existence -" Tsunade opened her mouth, but the Sandaime cut her off before she could begin. "Tsunade, don't be unreasonable. You know as well as I do that this is the goal for all shinobi." He sighed. "That said, I see no reason why we should repress personality and identity. They will be allowed names, they will be allowed to develop and they will be allowed to construct bonds with their fellow members, should they wish."

The blonde kunoichi was still. "I don't like it," she stated, but much of the raw anger had dissolved out of her voice.

Sarutobi sighed, suddenly aware of the return of the Hokage's responsibility – borne like a heavy yoke across the shoulders. "I know. But we may well have no other choice." He paused, searching through pockets before finding his pipe and a tin of tobacco. "Even with this, there is an obstacle. There are very few I would trust with such a role."

The room was quiet as he prepared his pipe. Lighting it, he raised his eyes thoughtfully, fixing them on the lounging figure near the door.

Jiraiya, who up until that point had remained silent due to an enormous and glaring lack of opinion, was suddenly aware of being scrutinized. Meeting the Sandaime's eyes, he instantly recognised the intent behind them.

"Oh, no. No no no no no. I'm a free spirit, me. Travel with the wind and all that. There's no _way_."

Tsunade's gaze snapped between the two. "_Him_? Oh god, tell me you're joking."

The room fell silent again, save for the gentle puffs of the pipe.

Takahashi was the first to speak. "Hokage-sama," he began, turning to face the older man directly. "I – it would be an honour to offer you my services."

Meeting the blank gaze of the mask, Sarutobi began to run through everything he knew about Takahashi Hiroshi. _There have never been any complaints from his subordinates, so he must be a reasonable leader. Not from a major clan, no bloodline limits. ANBU captain for four years, so experienced and obviously skilled. He has never shown disloyalty of any kind, as far as we know. Occasionally high-strung, but steadfast and reliable. Not to mention, there isn't much choice. _

Reaching a conclusion, he nodded. "Konoha is grateful to you, Takahashi. I'm sure you understand the importance and responsibility of this position. Please make your village proud."

The captain bowed. "I will do my best."

Sarutobi turned to Jiraiya, who was looking distinctly relieved. "Jiraiya, I would appreciate it if you still visited the department every once in awhile," he phrased the statement politely, but injected enough steel into his tone for the younger man to be aware that it was not a request. "Your opinion is valuable to me."

Swallowing, Jiraiya nodded.

"I still don't like it," Tsunade muttered, now sounding distinctly sulky.

The Hokage moved to the window and looked out over the village. People swarmed in the East, beginning to repair the immense damage caused by the nine-tailed demon - now sealed in the boy beside him. He sighed.

"I'm not sure I do either. All we can do is hope it was the right decision."


	2. Chapter 1

The Hokage had been quietly reading through paperwork when a pair of hands slammed into the desk in front of him, effectively disrupting all trains of thought. He looked at the hands carefully, and then followed the attached arms up to the owner's face. The man had short, tousled brown hair and a thick scar running over his right eyebrow, disappearing into his hitai-ate. His face was flushed and his breath was coming in pants – Sarutobi wasn't sure if this was because of exertion, or because of the intense anger he felt rolling off the man in waves.

"That child," the man ground out, "is _irrepressible._"

"Takahashi," Sarutobi said calmly around his ever-present pipe. "This isn't like you."

"My patience is wearing thin, Hokage-sama!" The younger man's eyes held a hint of panic. "Do you know what the boy did this morning?"

Sarutobi fought back the smile that was threatening to cross his face. Takahashi had been coming to his office more and more frequently of late, each time delivering another story in varying states of emotional disorder. The stories all concerned the Yondaime's young son and while the Hokage was aware that their purpose was to express distaste, he was hopelessly endeared to the boy each time.

He had only met the boy in person once or twice due to the strict separation of the Root department from the rest of the village, but the impression had been lasting. Cheerful, ridiculously stubborn and with a willpower that bordered on idiocy, Naruto had caused the Hokage to breathe a sigh of relief.

_Despite the circumstances, the similarities between him and his father are incredible._

"He _painted_ the _statues_ in the third training room! They're _orange_!" Takahashi was beginning to spit, but the Hokage deemed it wise not to interrupt. "Then he used some kind of….I don't know, he called it 'Sexy no jutsu'," he spoke the phrase as if it hit his gag reflex on the way out, "to distract Aoshi before he tried to escape out the Recreation Room's window! Into the _village_! In _daylight_!"

The Sandaime's lips began to twitch. "'Sexy no jutsu'?"

"He turned himself into a _woman._ A _naked_ woman."

There was a pause, as a blush slowly crept across the faces of both men. The silence was then broken and Sarutobi was surprised to find himself laughing, clear and strong. How he wished he could have seen Aoshi's face – there were few men as uptight as that sensei and the thought of him suddenly coming face to face with a naked woman was going to keep Sarutobi amused for days.

Takahashi slumped into a chair on the other side of the desk, maintaining the bare minimum of posture required for an audience with the village's leader. "Please, Hokage-sama. This is not a laughing matter."

Sarutobi continued to smile, but quelled his laughter for the sake of the obviously distressed man in front of him. "Is something worrying you, Takahashi? This incident seems no worse than those you have reported to me previously." He thought back on the conversation and immediately sobered. "Unless…you said he attempted to escape into the village. Was he trying to leave Root?"

Twelve years had passed since the devastation of the Kyuubi, but the Hokage still questioned his decision of placing the boy under the care of Root personnel. While the boy seemed content, the slightest hint otherwise was enough to cause alarm. He had done everything in his power to satisfy the wishes of the Yondaime – including a decree banning all discussion of the Kyuubi and its container – but if Naruto wasn't happy, it was all for nothing.

Takahashi shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. I think it was simply the easiest way to avoid Aoshi's wrath – you know how he can get sometimes."

Sarutobi nodded, but remained silent.

Feeling pressed, the commander of Root went on. "Sir…it just isn't working."

The Hokage's mouth tightened. "Explain."

"Sir," Takahashi took a deep breath, "the Root department of ANBU is an elite force. We are used mainly for espionage missions, which is why we keep our identities and existence secret from the village.

"With this in mind, it is obvious that Root members are required to have a certain set of skills, sir. Stealth is a primary one, tactical ability is another. Hokage-sama, these are not Naruto's strengths. To put it mildly."

The Sandaime placed his elbows on the desk and folded his hands in front of his face. "You're saying that Naruto is too weak for Root." His tone wasn't defensive, but merely curious.

"No, definitely not," the commander shook his head for emphasis, "in physical force he's among the best, and his chakra…..well, that's been unrivalled since Jiraiya dropped by when he was nine. You know that."

Sarutobi remembered the visit well, and allowed himself a small smile. Jiraiya had been reluctant at first, only willing to take on the bare minimum of the Hokage's orders – to oversee the proceedings of Root once in a while. But when Sarutobi had forced him to train Naruto for a day, Jiraiya had taken a shine to the boy. Not that he'd ever admit it. The man was still away far more than he was present, but in the time that he was available he had taught Naruto to control the Kyuubi's chakra in addition to the boy's own.

"The boy is certainly strong enough. It's more that he's…unsuitable. He has failed the vast majority of stealth exams and his academic intelligence is laughable. I'll admit that he manages to pull some incredible strategies out of his ass in dire situations," Takahashi paused and gave a small cough, having realised he just said the word 'ass' in front of the village's strongest ninja. When there was no reaction, he ploughed on. "But it's mostly instinct. He simply can't think far enough ahead."

The Hokage stood, moving to gaze out through the wide window of the office. "What would you have me do?"

The commander looked uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I don't know, Hokage-sama. But I no longer believe Root is the best place for the child."

The room was quiet as Sarutobi continued to stare vacantly at the bright and bustling village. His attention was caught by movement on the streets below, and he smiled as he recognised students of the academy kicking a ball to each other during their lunch break. He watched as one of the boys sent his dog to fetch a ball that went astray and was suddenly jolted by a possibility. Immediately he felt a rising in his chest, as if a hand, unnoticed for twelve years, had suddenly let go of his heart. _This_ was the right decision.

_Perhaps it is time, now._

"Hokage-sama?"

"The Academy exams are today," Sarutobi said, eyes still following the children on the street below.

Takahashi blinked. "Yes sir."

Turning, the Hokage made his way to his desk and shuffled through some papers. Pulling a report from the pile, he glanced over it and then turned to the commander. "I will need to see Hatake Kakashi as soon as possible. In the meantime, we should look for an apartment – preferably nearby."

Takahashi stood and bowed. "Yes, sir," he acknowledged. He paused, and then went on. "If I may ask…"

"The graduating class at the Academy is around Naruto's age. They are to become Genin teams within a few days and," the Hokage held up what Takahashi now recognised to be the first preemptive draft of the team divisions, "one of the teams is a member short."

Realisation passed over the commander, along with a vague feeling of dread. "Are…are you sure that's wise?"

"As you have said, Root is no longer the best place for him," Sarutobi said, turning to face the window once more. "I can think of no better opportunity than this to return him to normal village life."

Takahashi hesitated, and then nodded. "I will begin preparations immediately."

Hearing the puff of a teleportation jutsu behind him, Sarutobi returned his gaze to the children below and smiled.

_This is the right decision._

And for once, he had no doubts.

* * *

Kakashi was confused. 

Not that he'd ever show it, of course, he was a far better shinobi than that. Besides, admitting his confusion would probably dump him into a far bit of shit, considering that he hadn't actually been paying attention to the vast majority of whatever the Hokage was currently going on about. So far, all he'd managed to pick up was that the opening on his Genin team – traditionally filled by the best of those who failed to gain Genin rank the year before – was to be filled by some kid that hadn't even attended the Academy. Kakashi's mind was filled with mental images of some stuck-up, home-schooled brat even worse than the Uchiha he was already going to have to put up with.

He was having a hard time stopping himself from slamming his head repeatedly against the Hokage's desk. It didn't get any worse than this.

"I assume, Hatake, you recall a child by the name of Uzumaki Naruto?"

_Oh fuck. _Yes, Kakashi knew of the boy. He also knew of the plethora of problems the

boy would bring with him.

Sarutobi sighed at his expression. "I shall take that as a yes. Hatake, you know you are best for this job."

"Oh?"

"I believe I know you well enough to assume you do not care about the demon Naruto houses."

_True. _He wasn't prejudiced. He was just….well. Lazy.

"In addition, having been taught by his father, you may well have the best insight into his character."

All expression slipped from Kakashi's face, closing his emotions off entirely.

Sarutobi noticed, and then sighed again. "Perhaps that was insensitive. But it was also true, Hatake."

Inwardly, Kakashi sighed. It was true, and on some level he even wanted to train the boy – as if he owed his old sensei a favour. Not to mention…he had no good reason to keep Naruto from his team, and the Hokage knew it.

There was a brief silence, before the Hokage bit down on his pipe and nodded firmly. Standing, he passed a scroll to Kakashi, who took it calmly and then broke the seal.

Unfurling it, his one eye widened. He had expected the standard shinobi statistics and possibly a photograph, but this….

"Hokage-sama…this is an ANBU profile," he murmured, almost reverently. "Are you telling me…?" He trailed off, considering, and then fixed his gaze on the elderly man before him. "Root. It must be Root. I knew you had reinstated it, but I didn't expect this."

"It was the best place for him," Sarutobi stated firmly, then sighed. "However…I do not believe it is any longer."

"Should I ask why?"

The Hokage nodded towards the scroll. "I suspect you will find any answers you need in there."

Kakashi focused on the scroll once more, and once more his eye widened. "When…how did he manage to learn the Kage Bunshin no jutsu?"

Sarutobi began to chuckle, surprising Kakashi still further. _Well, _he thought, _at least it will be interesting._

* * *

SO SORRY ABOUT THE BORING.

NOT HAPPY WITH THAT LAST SCENE, NOT AT ALL. But blaaaaaaah it was so boring to write and it had to be done, so. shrugs

By the way, Kakashi's current perceptions of Sasuke are not intended to be long-lasting. My assumption is that he probably thought like this originally, and then changed his mind upon actually meeting Sasuke (and seeing some of himself in him).

ALSO – next chapter (holy shit) you might actually get to see Naruto! Rejoice!

rolls eyes at self

NightstarAngel: Thanks for the kind comment! This is my first attempt at actually posting something online, and you were my first reviewer. So it means a lot:D

Also, if anyone can tell me how to change the first chapter to say 'Prologue' instead of 'Chapter One', I'll love them forever. :D


	3. Chapter 2

Naruto barreled down the corridor at full speed, skidding around corners and bouncing off walls more than once in his haste. Corridors and corridors and more corridors and honestly, was it really necessary to have this many? Unwilling to admit even to himself that he was lost _again_, the energetic young boy continued to turn corner after corner, occasionally flinging himself up or down a flight of stairs.

Hearing the familiar grating of a trap being triggered he threw himself to the left, rolled and was running again by the time he heard the metallic sound of shuriken hitting the wall behind him. Traps were common place throughout the Root complex, more as a method of training than as a defensive gesture. Designed to incapacitate, no one had ever died from them – it was just really, _really _embarrassing to be caught in one. That particular fact was something Naruto had learnt first hand, more often than he'd care to remember.

Glimpsing something out of the corner of his eye he halted, twisting and drawing a kunai. Shifting his weight he brought the kunai down on the stone floor, dragging it and using the resistance to slow him down quickly. After sliding to a stop he looked up, breathing heavily. The gleaming plate on the door next to him proudly proclaimed that it was the entrance to the fourth dormitory.

Naruto grinned widely. That meant he was in the North wing and only two floors below where he wanted to be! He wasn't lost after all! Obviously, his brain was just so far ahead of the rest of him he hadn't noticed yet. Or something. He took off running again, turned at the next corner and threw himself up the stairs. Eventually he skidded to a stop in front of an identical door, the plate this time informing him that he was in front of the second dormitory. Flinging it open he ran down yet another corridor, counting doors as they flashed past until he reached his goal. Without pausing to grin at the two names on the door and without bothering to knock, he threw it open.

"SAI!"

The other boy stared at Naruto from his position sprawled sideways across one of the room's two beds. His face, which was hanging over the edge and was thus upside down to Naruto, looked mildly alarmed. There was an inked brush in his mouth.

Sai blinked. Naruto knew he wasn't surprised by his presence - the exuberant boy's approach was always impossible to miss. But then, he knew his appearance was a little unusual – flushed and panting, with bright eyes and a grin so ridiculously huge that he was nearly unhinging his jaw in the process. His grinned widened even further as he watched Sai visibly brace himself for whatever was going to burst out, at frightening volume, of his roommate's mouth.

"Guess what happened!" The voice wasn't as loud as usual, but the barely contained excitement vibrating through it was clear.

Moving slowly Sai sat up. Carefully removing the brush from his mouth he set it aside and then pushed the rest of his art paraphernalia off his lap. Then, just as Naruto was about to rupture something critical in his impatience, he turned and carefully asked, "What?"

No fun. "You have to _guess_!"

The corners of Sai's mouth twitched. He was obviously trying for exasperation, and it rather obviously wasn't quite working. It was impossible, against such enthusiasm. "Let's see. They're serving ramen for dinner? You finally beat Touya at throwing shuriken? They're _not_ making you clean the paint off those statues you desecrated yesterday?"

"No, no, that was art and I finished that this morning!" Naruto flung himself down on the other bed.

"Art? You call that _art_?"

"Better than yours!" The blonde cackled, and then narrowly escaped rolling off the bed. He bounced instead, making the bedsprings creak. "Come on, come on! Guess again!"

Naruto knew that Sai wouldn't take the swipe at his abilities seriously. When the pair had first become roommates two years ago, they were on shaky ground – Naruto had never had a roommate before and Sai's had been killed while away on a mission. As such both were extremely wary, but they eventually reached a sort of friendship. This was partly due to the fact that Naruto's fondness for companionship and people as a whole was infectious, but mainly because he had realised that a roommate meant someone to talk at who couldn't run away halfway through.

And while people didn't often run from Naruto, they did tend to sneer and turn away.

"You're ridiculous. And I give up."

Naruto gave an enormous bounce. This was _awesome_. "They're sending me _outside_!"

That, he knew, had Sai's undivided attention. While missions often drew the older shinobi away, it was rare for a Root member of their age to leave the compound. So far, the two boys only had a few experiences – small village missions that required them to leave and return in the same night, under cover of darkness. "Outside? Is it for a mission? Where are you going?"

Naruto grinned at Sai's interest. "Just to the village."

Sai smiled in return, awkward and lopsided. It looked a little painful, as if he was unused to it and rather self-conscious – which was precisely the truth. He had become rather closed after the death of his roommate – a genius shinobi three years older than Sai and Naruto - but Naruto's presence made it impossible to remain that way. Especially after Naruto had sat on his stomach for four hours, refusing to get up until he saw 'some real warmth, dammit'.

"Bring something back for me."

The comment was intended lightly, but the sudden crash in Naruto's mood was almost audible.

"Oh," he murmured, visibly slumping. "Oh_ no._"

Sai tilted his head, searching out Naruto's eyes. "Naruto?"

"Outside…Sai," the blonde felt dread clench his stomach and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I didn't realise that I – that you…I didn't think…"

"You never do, dickless. What is it?"

Naruto barely noticed the usual bait. "It's permanent. They're moving me out," he mumbled. Then he stood up and without ceremony flung himself at the other boy. "I'm not going to _see_ you again!"

Sai's eyes widened as he was tackled to the bed, landing on his back with a squirming blonde twelve year old on top of him. "They're kicking you out? What did you _do_? And please get off - of course you'll see me again," he added.

Naruto scrambled to the other end of the bed and grinned, eyes lit up again. "Promise?"

"Promise," the other boy sighed. "I'll drop in when I'm on missions, okay?"

"And I could break in to see you sometimes!"

Sai was smiling again, although Naruto recognised the expression as his default façade rather than something natural. "That probably wouldn't be a good idea, considering your abilities in stealth."

"Hey!"

"Although…" Sai leaned over the edge of his bed and began to dig through his trunk. Naruto looked on curiously, but before he could ask Sai had straightened up.

"Catch," Sai said, tossing something towards the blonde that glinted in the light of the lamps. Naruto studied it.

"A mirror?" Naruto asked, looking to Sai with a questioning expression. It was small and round, fit to be held in one hand. Unlike ordinary ninja mirrors – which were almost solely used for checking around corners and thus undecorated – it had a curling golden frame. There was no handle.

Sai gave his unnerving pseudo-smile, and then held up a matching mirror. Angling it carefully he tilted it a number of times in quick succession, lamplight bouncing off the silvery surface in short flashes. Naruto watched the mirror carefully, and realisation dawned.

_Honestly. Is. Your. Brain. As. Undersized. As. Your - _

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, but he was grinning widely. The flashes were a part of a code exclusive to Root – it was taught to all members. Over the last year, however, the two roommates had embellished the 'language', widening its vocabulary with the intention of using it in class. Not that they ever had the guts to. The teachers were always far too sneaky, appearing directly behind you the minute you reached for something that wasn't a pen. It was all you could do to refrain from pissing your pants, and even that was never a given.

_Jerk._

Naruto had never been good with comebacks.

Sai snorted, and put the mirror down. "We'll use the fourth window in the recreation room – the one I always read by." The recreation room was the only room in the Root complex that resided above ground. It was on the second floor, in order to deter villagers from peering through windows, while the first floor was empty. The rest of the compound stretched deep below ground in a labyrinth of corridors, far from suspicious eyes. "I'll get there as often as I can and you should do the same…but only after nightfall. We don't exist, after all."

Naruto threw a mock-salute in Sai's direction before standing and stretching. Bounding to his trunk, he retrieved items as he went and lobbed them into the open chest.

Sai blinked, taken aback. "Wait – you're going _now_?" Despite his earlier confidences, there was a touch of fear in his voice – something that went completely over Naruto's head.

He didn't look up from his attempt to stuff his trunk with what appeared to be the wardrobe of three people. "Tomorrow, after lunch."

"I see," Sai said, a soft mumble. As Naruto carefully wrapped a black jacket round a nondescript book he caught sight of Sai's expression, eyes watching as the book was placed into the trunk. He was smiling softly – real and warm.

"I see."

* * *

Unbeta'd, as per usual. . ; Also, I had a few POV problems (it kept wanting to write itself from Sai's perspective!) so apologies if any of that is still in there.

ALSO PLEASE ASSUME I'M USING SAI'S REAL NAME. If we ever find out that it's actually something different, I'll just go back and quietly edit it in. I tried to emphasis the fact that everyone still uses their original names by the plates on the door, but, well. :P


End file.
